McDermott admits January is a difficult time to purchase players, but he has targeted a couple of loan deals that will help the Royals in their battle against relegation.

"We need players who have played at this level and know the league," he said. "If we can get one or two players who know the league off by heart it's good because they can hit the ground running.

"We have two or three targets and if the budget's there, it's there and we have to wait. I'm involved in that decision-making process, but it comes down to finances.

"There could be a loan, but I only like to sign loan players that we might actually buy permanently.

"I've got my eye on a couple of players, but we're still a way away. January is never an easy window to deal in."

Pavel Pogrebnyak is a doubt for Saturday's trip to Southampton after sustaining an unspecified injury playing for the reserves, while no date is being set for goalkeeper Alex McCarthy's return from shoulder surgery.

"We don't want to put a time frame on Alex except to say it will be a long time," said McDermott.

Reading lost a 4-3 thriller at home to Manchester United last weekend, but McDermott is willing to sacrifice entertainment in favour of a winning run.

Victory at St Mary's will see Reading leapfrog Southampton in the Premier League table, and McDermott is desperate to end a run of three successive defeats.

"The players, the manager, the staff, the fans and my mum would take any type of win," he said.

"The Manchester United match was great for our fans and we've had some fantastic games at Madejski Stadium with lots of goals which is really entertaining, but our fans want results as well. That's what we're in the business for."

"It's possible to take satisfaction from matching a team like Manchester United - look at the finances and budgets we're up against. But myself and the players want to win.

"In the dressing room after Manchester United we didn't say we 'well we scored three goals', we said 'we lost the game'. There was satisfaction after we beat Everton.

"I'm doing the best I possibly can every day, as are the players. The fans are staying with us, which is really important. We're trying to win games.

"I'm absolutely 100 per cent behind the players that we have, I know they can do it, they've proved it in the past.

"We just need a little change, a little bit of something that can make the difference. Then it will come, I'm convinced about it.

"Not winning is embarrassing and you want to win for the fans and that's what we're trying to do.

"The best feeling in the world is when you go to your supporters at the end of an away game having won."

ood grief. Someone guessed that the form English player at the moment might be in his national side with some other players? And that's espionage? Now if they discovered that Emile Heskey was going to be in the starting line up.... at right back.... THAT would be espionage. Give it a rest Roy.